Chelsea defender Thiago Silva is out of contract at the end of the season and Brazilian club Fluminense are determined to bring the 39-year-old centre-back back to his homeland
Thiago Silva could end up extending his Chelsea stay by at least another year – all thanks to his teenage son. The 39-year-old veteran is out of contract at the end of the season and Brazilian club Fluminense are once again trying to bring their former player home to South America.
The Copa Libertadores champions attempted to facilitate a transfer earlier this summer but Silva snubbed a return by signing a new one-year deal in west London.
He later confessed that his two sons, Isago da Silva and Iago da Silva, do not want to live in his homeland – indicating his family are happy and settled in London.
Although ideally, Silva would still like to conclude his career in Brazil, the situation is further complicated by the fact both of his children currently play for Chelsea’s academy. Furthermore, 15-year-old Isago’s Cobham contract is due to run until the summer of 2025 – meaning Silva intends to stick around providing an agreement can be reached with the Blues.
Should he put pen to paper, the former Paris Saint-Germain captain could become only the fifth outfield player in Premier League history to play on into their 40s. Fluminense are determined to prevent that from happening and are even prepared to sign the experienced centre-back as soon as January.
That’s because they want Silva to feature in February’s Recopa Sudamericana final alongside long-standing friend and international team-mate Marcelo. Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt has made no secret of his interest, declaring: “I continue with this desire to bring him in. For the brilliant player he is, for his high performance at his age. That he’s a great Tricolor. I’m sure that one day he could play for Fluminense again.”
Silva remains an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino’s dressing room, however, despite being stripped of the captaincy ahead of the 2023/24 season. Pochettino justified his decision by claiming Silva does not require the armband to continue his role as an important leader.
The Argentine said in August: “Our first conversation was really good. I explained my ideas and the project, and I think he was agreeing, listening to ideas. He was really humble. I said to him, “Look Thiago, I know you really well but to assure you that you are going to play, like any player, you need to deserve to play.”
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